Coupling



April 7, 1925.

M. N. MELTZ COUPLING Filed Aug. 23. 1924 WITNESS INVENTOR flfMZ-ig,

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

MEYER NATHAN MELTZ, O'F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

COUPLING.

Application filed August 23, 1924. Serial No. 733,843.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MEYER N. MELTZ, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to couplings, more particularly to couplings adapted to connect one end of a ribbon to the link which is attached to the stem of a wrist watch or like article, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a coupling of the character described which afi'ords facilities for connecting one end of a wrist band to the link of a wrist watch so that the coupling can be instantly detached from the link without stretching the band or causing any appreciable pressure on the wrist of a wearer but is securelyheld against accidentally disengaging the link of the wrist watch.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coupling of the character described which is automatically adjustable to vary the effective length of the coupling within a considerable range.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view showing the link of a wrist watch connected to one end of a wrist band by the improved coupling,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the coupling,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the coupling, and

Figure'4 is a relatively enlarged perspective view of one of the attaching members of the coupling.

The improved coupling comprises a frame which preferably includes a substantially rectangular flat bottom plate 1, apair of P'upstanding sides 2 which extend along the longitudinal edges of the bottom 1 from one end of the latter for part of thele'n'gth thereof and which may be in the form of flanges integral with the bottom plate 1, and a top plate 3 which is coextensive in length with the side members 2. The top plate 3 is secured on the upper edges of the sides 2 and to the bottom plate 1 by a fastening element 4 which is shown as being a rivet extending 7 through the central portion of the top plate 3 and through the underlying portion of the bottom plate 1. The rivet 4 also has another function which will be hereinafter pointed out. I

With the arrangement just described,-an end portion of the bottom plate 1 extends beyond the corresponding ends of the Sides 2 and the top plate 3 and this extending end portion will be hereinafter referred to as the forward end portion of the bottom plate and as indicated at 5 in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

A transverse partition 6 which extends between the side members of the frame rearwardly of the fastening device 4, divides the space within the frame into a front compartment or pocket 7 and a rear compartment or pocket 8. The front compartment 7 1s open at the forward end of the frame while the rear compartment 8 is open at the rearward end of the frame.

The rear compartment 8 is adapted for the reception of an end portion of a ribbon or tape which may be'the end portion of a ribbon 9 and which may be permanently secured against displacement from theconipartment 8 in any suitable known manner, no means therefor being shown;

A pair of attaching members is provided for cooperating with the frame to connect thelatter releasably to the link 10 which is attached in the usual manner to the stem of a wrist watch 11, the other end portion of the wrist band 9 being attached to the wrist watch, as at 12 at a point diametrically opposite to the stem of the watch. These attaching members of the couplings are shown as being hook members 13 and 14 respectively, each of which comprises an elongated flat shank having an upwardly and rearwardly turned bill at its outer end as indicated at 13 and 14* respectively and being provided with avertical eye at its inner end as indicated at 13 and 14 respectively, through which the rivet 4 extends, whereby the attaching members 13 and 14 will be swingingly supported within the compartment 7. The attaching members 13 and 14 are of suflicient length to we tend beyond, the front edge of the extended portion 5 of the bottom plate when these attaching elements are engaged at their inner ends with the rivet '4 in the manner just described. It of course will be understood that the fastening -element 4 is projected through the eyes of the attaching members 13 and 14, at the timeithe top plate 3 is secured in place on the sidesf2'of'the frame through the use of the fasteninge'le ment 4. At this time, the eye portionsof the attaching member 14 is laced flatwise upon the bottom plate '1 within the compartment 7 in register with an opening through the bottom plate through which the fastening element 4 willfbe' rojected and the eye portion of the attac .ing member 13 then is placed upon the eye portion of the attaching member 14 so that the e e portion of the attaching member 13 will e superimposed upon the eye portion of the attaching member 14 when the fastening element 4 has been rojected through the eyes 13 and 14 and as been secured in position to connect the top plate 3 with the bottom plate 1. The outer end portion of the fastening member 13 may be downwardly offset at 13 so that the .outer end portions of the shanks of both the attaching member 13 and the attachin member 14 will lie in the same horizonta plane and in sliding contact with the extending end portion 5' of the bottom plate. It is to be observed at this point that the diameter of the eye 13" is considerably greater than the diameter of the portion of the rivet 4 that extends therethrough so that the attaching member 13 can have limited longitudinal movement in respect to the frame while still being swingingly supported on the rivet 4.

The shanks of the attaching members 13 and 14 are provided intermediate their length with lugs 13 and 14 respectively which are upstanding from the remote lateral'edges of the shank portions of the attaehing members 13 and 14 and are provided at their upper ends with inwardly turned portions 13 and 14 respectively. A substantially U-shaped spreader spring has the arms thereof disposed in a spaced straddling relation to the rivetv4 and has the end portions of such arms outturned as indicated at 16 and engaged with openings in the lugs 13 and 14", whereby the spring 15 tends. to swing the attaching members 13 and 14 apart until further swinging movement of these attaching members apart is prevented by the engagement of the end portions of such attaching members with the front end portions of the side flanges of the frame, as illustrated in Figure 2.

From the foregoing description of the variousparts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The bill portions of the attaching members 13 and 14 are convenientlyattachable to the link 10 of a wrist watch when the bill portions of such hooks have been swung toward .each other against the action of the spring 15 and the frame of the coupling and the link 10 have been moved to such positions in respect to each other that the bill portions o f the attachin membersfiwill-overlic thelink I1Q,and the. atter will be engaged by the hooksojfthe-attaching members when 'f'such attaching membershave been released of the link 10 of the watch therefrom. "It

also will be apparent that the combined length of the coupling, the wrist band and the watch will vary according to the straight line distance between the outer, end portions of the attachingmembersl3 and 14 and therefore a wrist band of a given length can be attached to watches of different sizes or worn on wrists of different SlZeSW1tl1lH a considerable range, the adjustment to com pensate for the difference between'any two of such sizes being automatic in that theattaching members 13 and 14 will be permitted to move farther apart at their outer ends as the diameter of the watch decreases. Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1 v 1. A coupling of the character described comprising a frame having a bottom plate, a pair of spaced apart. side members-upstanding from the bottom plate, and a top plate, said bottom plate extending at one end of the frame beyond the side members and beyond the topplate, a vcombined pivot element and securing device connecting the central portion of the top plate with the underlying-portion of'the bottom plate, a transverse partition extending between the side members of the. frame rearwardly of the combined pivot element and securing device, thus dividing thef'rame interiorlyinto a rear compartment and a front compartment, the extending end portion of said bottom plate being at the front of the frame, said rear compartment being adapted for the reception of an end portion of a ribbon or tape, a pair of elongated attaching members having eyes at their inner ends through which said pivot element extends and having, hooks at their outer end s, the*outer end. portions of said attaching members resting'up onthe extending end portion of the bottom plate in sliding contact therewith, and a spreader spring urging said attaching members apart. 2. coupling of the character described comprising a frame havin a bottom plate, a pair of spaced apartslde members upmanipulated standing from the bottom plate, and a top plate, said bottom plate extending at one end of the frame beyond the side members and beyond the top plate, a combined pivot element and securing device connecting the central portion of the top plate with the unrear compartment being adapted for the reception of an end portion of a ribbon or tape, a pair of elongated attaching members having eyes at their inner ends through which said pivot element extends and having hooks at their outer ends, the outer end portions of said attaching members resting upon the extended end portion of the bottom plate in sliding contact therewith, and a spreader spring urging said attaching members apart, the. eye of the upper of said attaching members being of greater diameter than said pivot element and loosely receiving the latter.

3. A coupling of the character described comprising a frame having a bottom plate, a pair ofspaced apart side members upstanding from the bottom plate, and a top plate, said bottom plate extending at one end of the frame beyond the side members and beyond the top plate, a combined pivot element and securing-device connecting the central portion of the top plate with the underlying portion of the bottom plate, a transverse partition extending between the side members of the frame rearwardly of the combined pivot element and securing device, thus dividing the frame interiorly into a rear compartment and a front compartment, the extending end portion of said bottom plate being at the front of the frame, said rear compartment being adapted for the reception of an end portion of a ribbon or tape, a pair of elongated attaching members having eyes at their inner ends through which said pivot element extends and having hooks at their outer ends, the outer end portions of said attaching members resting upon the extended end portion of the bottom plate in sliding contact therewith, said attaching members being provided with upstanding lugs at their remote edges intermediate the length thereof, said lugs having inwardly turned portions at their upper ends and each being provided with an opening, and a substantially U-shaped spreader spring having arms loosely straddling said pivot elements and having the extremities thereof outturned and engaged with the openings in the respective lugs, whereb said spring acts on said attaching mem ers to tend to spring the outer end portions thereof apart.

MEYER NATHAN MELTZ. 

